Friday, January 17, 2014

Brightening These Dreary Days

We have to face it.In the Northern hemisphere at this time of year, we don’t have much
sunshine and blue sky. We have dark, we have gray, and we have drab. The best
we can hope for is a nice, pretty snowfall. (And I know—not everyone loves
those.)

Here are a dozen things I might try this winter:

1. Force some Spring bulbs. I love Paperwhite Narcissus.

2. Buy a pineapple and share it with friends.

3. Start a new sewing project with pastel summer fabrics.

4. Knit a pair of socks (I don’t know how, but have decided to
learn!)

5. Visit an indoor garden, flower shop, or public conservatory.

6. Bundle up warmly and go for a long walk, preferably to a dog
park where I can watch dogs run and play with my two dogs.

7. Make a favorite recipe from my childhood. I’m thinking
macaroni and cheese…

8. Paint a room or simply splash color on pieces of paper. I bought
a big, big box of crayons and some water colors.

9, Put on a blouse or sweater that I love but haven’t worn recently.

10. Spend an entire day reading.

11. Set a pretty table, complete with an extravagant floral centerpiece
and tall candles.

12. Go where no one can hear me (the shower or the beach?) and sing.
Loudly.

What do you do to cheer yourself and others during the
darkest days of the year?

You can read about how Willow solves a murder in the latest Threadville Mystery, THREAD AND BURIED. Read the first chapter here.

Janet Bolin’s first Threadville Mystery, DIRE THREADS, was nominated for both an Agatha Award for Best First novel and for the 2012 Bony Blithe Award. The second in the series, THREADED FOR TROUBLE, was nominated for the 2013 Bony Blithe Award.

10 comments:

I've read the first two Threadville mysteries and am looking forward to the 3rd. It is hard to be cheery during these dark and cold days of January. A good book always fits the spot. Other ideas are doing some embroidery or cleaning a closet, t hough its hard to get ambitious about the last idea. Stay warm!

I've read the first book in this series and loved it! =)So many great ideas to cheer myself up during the dark days of winter! I think making a favorite recipe and curling up with a good book are my favorites!

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We are the characters--major and minor--who inhabit the pages of some of your favorite cozy mysteries.We're coming out from between the covers and welcoming you into our lives.So grab a nice cuppa, settle in, and learn what happens when our authors aren't looking.